Railway gate



Feb. l0, 1925.

F. ROBITAILLE RAILWAY GATE Filed Feb Patented Feb.. 10, 1925.

U'Nlreo srres FAUL ROBITAILLE, OF QUEBEC, QUEEEC, CANADA.

RAILWAY entre.'

Application filed February 18, 1924. Serial No. 693,666A

.Y 10 61221071077 t may concern:

Be it known that l, PAUL, Rom'rnnmn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Quebec, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Railway Gates; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention pertains to a novel railway gate adapted to prevent pedestrians and vehicles from traversing railway crossings during the passageof a train.

The dangers of level crossings are already well known and are recognized by the fact that in many instances they are protected by rails operable by an attendant whose duty it is to lower them by handwhen a train approaches and passes the crossing. `The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device of this general character, eliminating, however, the necessity of an attendant. In the accomplishment of this object, the guard rails are suitably connected to an electrically operated device which is set in motion by an approaching train. The circuit for operating the device is broken at the track rail and is closed at this point by the railway wheels in passing. At this time the guard rails are lowered and are held in this position by means of an electromaguetic device. When the latter device holds the rails lowered the motor circuit is automatically broken in order to avoid unneces* sary flow of current. Then the train passes, the magnet is cle-energized and the guard rails are raised by means of weights permanently attached to them.

The invention 'further includes electric lights carrie-d by the` guard rails and a sounding vdevice which comes into operation when the rails are lowered.

These devices are preferably connected in parallel with the'main circuit and remain in operation until the guard rails begin to turn to their raised position.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following description and in the accompany ing drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device in use; Y

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the stan-dard, showing the operating` mechanism of the device, the guard rails being lowered Y Figure 3 is a similar detail view, the gua-rd switch terminal.

Reference will now be had to these Iviews by means of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout. y

The body of the device comprises a standard or casing 1 containing the operating mechanism. ln the walls of the casing is journaled a shaft 2, the ends thereof being exposed and carrying the guard rails 3. rlhese members are each weighted at one end as at 4, the weights being sufficient to normally hold the rails 3 in raised position, as shown in Figure 3.

A main gear 5 is loosely mounted on the shaft 2, as shown in Figure 5, and has a ratchet 6 formed on one face thereof. On the floor of the casing is mounted a motor operatively connected to the gear fby means of a train of gearing 8. To one of the walls of the casing is secured a bracket 9 for supporting an electromagnet 10. An arm 11 is secured to the shaft by means of a pin 12, as shown in Figure 6, and is adapted for attraction by the magnet. lNithin the casing is also supported a switch terminal 13 adapted for engagement by a cont-act member 1st carried by the shaft 2. The members 13 and 14k are adapted to control the current in the motor 7, as pointed out more particularly below. Y

On the top of the casing is supported a post 15 carrying an alarm 16 and a light 17. One of the track rails 18 has fixed thereto an insulated terminal plate 19, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The current for operating the device is supplied by a main conductor comprising lines 20 connected to the terminals of a suit able source of powernot shown. The electromagnet 10, the rail 18, and the terminal plate 19 are connected in series in the conductor. Each rail Scarries a plurality of lamps 21, all of which are connected in pararried thereby, the latter being 1n engagement with the a1le1 with reference to the conductor 20 on a shunt 21, as shown in Figure 41. r[he alarm 16 and the lamp 1'4"" on the post are likewise connected in parallel to the conductor on branches 1G. Across the conductor 2O s t'urther connected a shunt wire 22 joined to the motor 7, the switch terminal 13, and the switch contact 14.

In the operation oi the dei/'ice a railway train passing over the rail 18 closes the circuit at the space between the members 1S and 19 by means of the wheels. The magnet 10, alarm 16, and lamps 1T and 21 are now set into operation, as is apparent trom the wiring dia-gram. Since in neutral position the guard rails 3 are raised, the contact 14 is in engagement with the terminal 13, as shown in Figure 3. Consequently the motor 7 is set in motion, causing rotation ot the large gear 5. A pa-wl 23 is pivotally carred by the arm 11 and is held in engagement with the ratchet by means ot a guide when the rails 3 are raised. The ratchet G obviously moves with the gear 5, carrying with it the arm 11 until the latter is attracted by the magnet 10. IVhen the arm engages the magnet the contact 11 is separated i'rom the terminal 13, whereby the motor circuit is broken, as illustrated in Figures 2 and et. In this pos'tion the pawl Q3 is disengaged from the ratchet because of its engagement with the bracket 9. The motor is now stopped, but the rails are held down because o the engagement between the arm 11 and the magnet 10. rThe magnet re mains energized while the car wheels are passing over the rail 18, and during this pen riod the rails 3 are held in lowered position. Then the train has passed the plate 19 the series circuit is broken and the magnet becomes dead. At the same time the members 16, 17 and 21 cease t-o operate. The weights -1 now raise the rails 3, and the parts are returned to the position shown in Figure 3. It will be apparent that the action of the we'ghts thus brings the pawl 23 again into engagement with the ratchet 6.

While a specific embodiment oii the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that various alterations in the details ol construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the nrention as indicated by the appended claim.

Having thus fully described the inveir tion. what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is A. railway gate comprising a standard, a shaft journaled therein, weghted rails secured to said shaft, a bracket disposed within the standard, an electric motor supported on said bracket, a gear loosely mounted on the shaft, a ratchet carried by said gear, an operative connection between said gear and the motor, a switch terminal connected to said motor, a switch contact carried by the shait't and adapted to engage said terminal, means for supplying current to said motor, an electromagnet connected in series with said means, an arm secured to the shaft and adapted for attraction by the magnet, a pawl piyotally carried by said arm and adapted for engagement with the ratchet and tor Contact with said bracket to bel released trom the ratchet, and a guide secured within the standard for bringing the pawl into engage-ment with the ratchet upon rotation ot the shaft due to the weighted rails cured thereto.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PAUL ROBITAILL E. 

